Alaska Lounge Returns to Priority Pass at SFO with a $15 Additional Fee

Alaska Lounge is Back at SFO

Alaska Airlines has announced the return of the Alaska Lounge at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to the Priority Pass program, albeit with a new twist. To access the lounge, guests are now required to pay an additional fee of $15. This means that both Priority Pass lounge options in Terminal 1 now have a cash fee, as The Club lounge also requires a paid reservation to avoid long lines.

Additional Fees Impacting Your Experience

This extra charge is not uncommon in Priority Pass lounges. For instance, the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX also asks guests to pay an extra $35 per person in addition to using their Priority Pass. To enter the Alaska Lounge, you must use your standard allocation and pay the $15 fee per person upon entry. This fee is separate from any membership fees you may have already paid.

Guests Will Also Be Charged

This means that anyone accompanying you will also have to pay this fee. These moments will provide cardholders with an enhanced experience. Alaska Airlines’ willingness to charge for lounge access via Priority Pass indicates a decline in passenger numbers at their San Francisco hub—a sign of reduced operations following their acquisition of Virgin America.

Flight Reductions

After acquiring Virgin America, Alaska Airlines once operated 83 flights daily to 35 different destinations. Currently, that number has dropped to about 42 daily flights to 24 destinations. While Alaska has added routes from San Francisco to cities like Philadelphia, New Orleans, Nashville, and Indianapolis, they have also had to cut back on several routes, including Albuquerque, Austin, Boston, and Dallas Love Field.

Ongoing Flight Reductions

This reduction is ongoing, with many routes set to cease operations over the coming years. For example, the Boston route will end on January 6, 2026, and the Austin route will wrap up on February 11, 2026. Other cities, such as Orlando and Newark, will also be discontinued in May and June of 2026.

Competition with United Airlines

In 2018, United Airlines held 45% of the seats at SFO, and that figure is projected to rise to 48.7% by 2025. This increase corresponds with Alaska’s decline of 3.5 points, dropping from 13% to 9.5% during the same period. Alaska has had to scale back operations due to a limited number of aircraft and a slower recovery of travel in San Francisco post-pandemic, while United has maintained its stronghold.

The State of the Virgin America Acquisition

Clearly, the acquisition of Virgin America has not turned out as successful as anticipated, especially as Alaska has had to relinquish several markets due to gate and slot restrictions imposed by the deal, such as Dallas Love Field and New York LaGuardia (leased to Southwest).